News

April 9, 2009

Alternative Budget Initiative budget proposals adopted in the National Budget for 2009

Civil Society offers victories to the poor

The Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI), a consortium of 60 nongovernment organizations which initiated legislator-civil society partnership for better allocation for social development, called for a celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ with the poor as the group celebrates the adoption of their alternative budget proposals in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2009.

 “We offer our small and humble victories in proposing alternative budget proposals for more allocations for social development to the poor Filipinos, especially this Lenten Season,” said former national treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones, lead convenor of Social Watch Philippines, which organized the ABI. “The Lenten Season, which is a celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, should remind us of the sufferings and sacrifices of the poor – the farmers who toil the land, the laborers who work all day, the overseas workers who sacrifice time with their families, the teachers who provide hope for the children – and still they experience hunger, sickness and poverty,” explained Briones.

 “The worst is yet to come, the global recession is going to hit those below the poverty line, millions are going to loose their jobs and more families will be fasting day by day. The Philippines is among the ten countries with the highest poverty level in the Asia Pacific and is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. Hence, civil society worked on alternative budget proposals for increased allocations for education, health, agriculture and environment so that Filipinos will be resurrected or saved from their sufferings,” said Rene Raya of Action for Economic Reforms (AER).

 Sabyte Lacson of the La Liga Policy Institute said that, because of the ABI’s budget proposals, the 2009 environment budget is a big improvement to what was initially prepared by the executive for congressional deliberations, both in form and substance. She also highlighted victories in the group’s advocacy against highly discretionary budget items.

 “Augmentations in the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) amounting to P84.7 Million are clear gains for the ABI. This include the creation of new items for the implementation of Clean Water Act of 2004 and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and the increase for legal services on pollution. Note that the budget prepared by the executive for EMB was untouched in the GAB version. This clearly reflect how allies at the Senate have pushed for the augmentations, specifically Senator Pia Cayetano,” said Lacson.

 Lacson added that as a response to ABI's major critique of on special purpose and lump sum appropriations in the budget, the allocations related to natural resource conservation indicated congressional attempts to lessen the discretionary nature of the P2 Billion reforestation lump sum.

 “Relevant items in the Economic Stimulus Fund also responds to ABI's proposal albeit took a different form. For instance, the Bantay Gubat and Bantay Kalikasan Program amounting to P1 Billion for protection of forest and coastal resources involving communities is consistent to the framework being pursued by ABI. Thus, ABI's proposals have been crafted to highlight government support for programs along community-based forest management (CBFM) and coastal resource management (CBRM),” she said.

 “On the other hand, the ESF item Recycling of Agricultural and Forest Wastes amounting to P70 Million may be viewed as an adoption of ABI's proposal termed as “Trash to Treasure: Transforming Solid Waste Problems to Viable Solutions tot he Food and Fuel Crises,” Lacson added.

 Meanwhile, out of the 11 ABI proposals for the health budget, four was approved in the recently signed 2009 GAA. “The increased allocations for provisions for a pool of 60 resident physicians, health promotion, and formulation of policies, standards, and plans for hospital and other health facilities; and the inclusion of the budget for a P31, 555,563 budget for Rural Midwife Placement Program which was not in the executive’s budget proposal are our offerings to those who do not have access to health care,” said Cecile Bilbao of the Institute for Public Health Management. “These budget items constitute P463, 648,563 million of the P4.7 billion total ABI health proposals,” she added.

 The ABI’s proposals for increases in the budget for State Universities and Colleges were also included in the GAA. Among these schools are the Philippine Normal University,

Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Benguet State University, Cagayan State University, Central Luzon State University, Cavite State University, Leyte Normal University, Central Mindanao University, University of Southeastern Philippines, Mindanao State University.

 The ABI also celebrated the increases in the budget for Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which is part of the group’s advocacy for better allocation for the agriculture sector. Increases in the budget of the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Education and Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Office of the Director General of the National Economic Development Authority are also part of the alternative budget proposals.

 “It is very timely that we can offer the increases in the budget for social development to the poor families during this Lenten Season. This season should remind us of issues of poverty, justice, peace and the environment within the context of the Christian faith. This is what Jesus Christ taught us when he lived amongst the people,” said Briones. “Therefore, we call on government officials to prioritize the release of the budget for health, education, agriculture and environment for the sake of the people instead of campaigning for the 2010 elections or being preoccupied with cha-cha,” she added.

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